Monthly Archives: February 2013

In just a few short weeks, the Canadian men’s curling championship begins in Edmonton, Alberta. One of the teams vying for the coveted Brier crown is the Saskatchewan squad headed by Brock Virtue.

Chris Schille at Alta PlaydownsPhoto by Greg Southam Edmonton Journal

In this week’s newsletter, we introduce you to Goldline ambassador Chris Schille, who plays second on the Virtue team. Chris is no stranger to the Brier, having played as part of Brad Gushue’s Newfoundland team back in 2007 and 2008. But I suspect he will certainly agree that his road to the 2013 Brier will be one he will never forgot, having been expelled from a critical playoff game during the provincial playdowns for using foul language.

We caught up with Chris last week; here’s what he shared with us.

If you weren’t curling what sport would you be playing?
For sure darts. It’s the one thing I’m better than my other teammates at without a doubt. Atmosphere at the events is the best in sport!

Where were you born?
Barrhead, AB. Kidby says there’ss good reason for that. I don’t get it ;)

Where is your current hometown?
Regina, SK. Moskowy calls this Queensland or God’s land or something. Also don’t get it.

What is your "real" job?
Manager/Partner/Estimator/Acct. Carpet Superstores. I do it all, similar to my curling team

When did you start curling?
Full time when I was 13 after watching the world juniors in Red Deer. How could I not play a sport that Heather Godberson was playing?

Who is your favourite athlete?
Derek Jeter, no explanation needed.

Where is your favourite place to curl?
At the Brier. There’s nothing like it and I can’t wait for Edmonton. Best event, best city to have it.

What is your favourite food?
Qdoba tacos with Mexican soup in Phoenix.

Where is your favourite vacation spot?
See above. I really question my sanity for living in this climate when that paradise exists just 3 hours south.

What is your favourite TV show?
I watch lots of crime shows but I think I look the most forward to The Mentalist.

What are you listening to on your iPod?
Nothing cause I’m answering these questions.

Who is your favourite curler other than yourself?
Does Russ Howard still count? He’s the man.

Who is your role model?
That’s tough, Tiger Woods maybe… But for what reason?

Have you ever been in a bar fight?
Hell no, I wouldn’t last 10 seconds. I cause them then run like mad

Who is your celebrity crush?
Jennifer Love Hewitt, always.

What is your favourite book?
Theo Fleury’s book is fantastic. Tie with John Daly’s though.

What is your favourite movie?
Gonna go with Poolhall Junkies, hustling at its best.

If someone wrote a book about your life, what would they title it?
Oh god I don’t know…. “Let it Fly” or “Off the Hook” yikes…

If you could be anyone dead or alive who would you be?
Ben Hebert. Who wouldn’t?

What would you do if you had a million dollars?
I would be Ben Hebert… isn’t that the same question? #rich

Who is the best curler to follow on Twitter?
Is this section dedicated to @bennyheebz?

What is your favourite sports team?
The pride of sports - the New York Yankees.

What is your preferred shot to win a game?
Sour Jack.

What is one of your favourite quotes?
Don’t wish time away, this is the fun part ~ Mark Nichols. I’ve lived by this since 2007.

What is your favourite body part
Let me google a good one……. Pharynx

What is your favourite form of exercise?
Golfing. There was a great info session on how many calories you burn walking a course, something I’ve never done. Cart always.

If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what age would it be?
29, as in I have 6 days left, please freeze time.

Canadians love curling. They love to play the game. They love to watch the game.

Now, we are going to be able to watch more curling than ever before, thanks to Sportsnet!

Back in August 2012, curling fans were delighted to hear that Sportsnet had purchased the Grand Slam of Curling. With this announcement, we were assured that we would continue to see many of the best teams from around the world battle it out for cash prizes in communities across the country. So far this season, the Grand Slam has made stops in Brantford, Kelowna and Port Hawkesbury. But this spring, we can truly say that there is going to be curling in the heart of Hogtown!

Mattamy Athletic Centre

The last event of the Grand Slam of Curling, The Players’ Championship, will be played out at Mattamy Athletic Centre (the former Maple Leaf Gardens) in the middle of downtown Toronto. This ice facility, which seats just over 2500, is the new home of the Ryerson Rams. But from April 16-21, 2013, it is being transformed into a curling venue that will play host to 30 of the best men’s and women’s curling teams from around the world. Take the subway to College station and it is just a block away to see the cream of the crop duke it out for a $200,000 prize purse and CTRS points. Ticket packages are now available for sale; just click here to get to Sportsnet’s Grand Slam of Curling website.

Goldline is very happy to be associated with the Grand Slam series: if you’ve seen TV coverage or attended one of the events, you will see that all the volunteers and crew are sporting our OSLO jackets.

But Sportsnet has not limited its interest in curling to just the Grand Slam events. In November, Sportsnet announced it had signed a 10-year agreement for exclusive Canadian coverage of the Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario provincial championships beginning this season, and British Columbia as well, starting next year. They will be delivering the men’s and women’s championship events on television, online and for mobile platforms.

When you add it all up, Sportsnet will be carrying over 200 hours of curling action this season which should be enough to satisfy all the couch potatoes out there! And Kristi Petrushchak, Manager of Grand Slam of Curling, at Sportsnet, says, “We are continuing to look at adding more curling coverage to our schedule”.

Sportsnet: keep up the great work!

This entry was posted in Curling Events on February 19, 2013 by Paivi.

Typically brush shafts are made of carbon fiber or fiberglass (or some combination of the two). If we were to draw an analogy with cars, a 100% carbon fiber brush would be the Cadillac, while brushes with shafts containing fiberglass (at Goldline, this would be our Fiberlite brush) would be considered your basic Volkswagon.

Now, truth be told, the Fiberlite brush is a terrific option for many curlers, particularly those who are new to the sport or play primarily for recreation. That being the case, why and when should you consider investing in carbon fiber?

The reason is simple a straightforward: carbon fiber is lighter than fiberglass (see chart below) and the lighter the brush, the more effective your sweeping should be.

1”

11/8”

Carbon Fiber

170 grams

200 grams

Fiberlite

270 grams

300 grams

A difference in weight of 100 grams (just over 3 ounces) may not seem significant, but those who curl more competitively will confirm that using a lighter brush will improve your sweeping. You will be able to apply more pressure using a carbon fiber brush and hence carry a rock further.

Carbon fiber does carry a higher price tag, but if you are thinking about taking your game to the next level, it may well be worth making the investment!

Last week saw the determination of virtually the entire field for the Tim Horton’s Brier, which will be played in Edmonton from March 2-10, 2013. It is going to be a fantastic week of curling.

Congratulations are extended to skip Brock Virtue, vice Braeden Moskowsky, second Chris Schille and lead DJ Kidby for having won the SaskTel Tankard, thereby securing a spot at the Brier. There was admittedly a bit of controversy towards the end of the week, but the team played solidly all week and will be anxious to make a run at the national men’s curling title.

Also securing spots at the Brier were two other teams of Goldline ambassadors: the team skipped by Kevin Martin out of Alberta, and the team skipped by Brad Gushue from Newfoundland Labrador. Congratulations to all the players and we wish them good luck in Edmonton.

KMart Alta ChampionsPhoto by Amber Bracken Edmonton Sun

Looking beyond our borders: David Edwards, John Penny, Scott MacLeod and Colin Campbell are the winners of the Goldline Scottish Curling Tour for 2012/13 with 28 points. For those unfamiliar with it, the Scottish Curling Tour was formed in 2011 to provide a competitive curling circuit in Scotland that strives to meet the following objectives:

Provide structure to the existing circuit of competitive events.

Grow number and quality of competitive curling events around Scotland.

Provide high quality competitions in Scotland for international teams looking to improve their game outside of the European tour.

Establish a 2nd tier competitive path for graduating juniors wishing to stay in the competitive game.

Improve participation by encouraging strong local teams to travel to different rinks.

Looking ahead: the women take to the ice and battle it out for the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Kingston, Ontario, starting Saturday February 16. If you’re not able to make it to Kingston, TSN will be providing full coverage of every draw as well as the playoffs.

This entry was posted in Curling Events on February 13, 2013 by Paivi.

With the men’s provincial playdowns starting across the country this week and next, Goldline would like to highlight one of the curlers who will be hoping to gain a berth into the Brier. Marc Kennedy is the second on the team skipped by Kevin Martin. At just 31 years of age, he has an Olympic gold medal, 2 Brier titles and a world championship under his belt. He’s a heavy hitter out on the ice, and is one of the strongest sweepers in the game.

The finals of the TCA men’s Goldline bonspiel were played at Richmond Hill Curling Club on January 18-19, 2013. Congratulations to the winning teams: team Peter Kostin (Tam Heather) in the Open division; team Tony Baker (Tam Heather) in the Senior division; and team Mike Shields (York Curling Club) in the Senator’s division. It was a great week of curling in the GTA for the nearly 300 teams that entered the event.

Going further abroad, from January 18-20, the Glynhill Ladies International bonspiel was played in Glasgow, Scotland. In total, 24 women’s teams from around the globe took part in this event. Congratulations to Eve Muirhead and her team for their strong showing, making it to the semi-finals of the event.

The third leg of the Grand Slam of Curling wrapped up in Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia, over the weekend. It was a strong field of 18 teams that played for the title at The National. Among our Goldline ambassadors, Kevin Martin and his team had the strongest showing, making it to the semi-finals before losing a close game to Mike McEwen. Congratulations to the Martin squad for its great play.

Team Homan at the Ontario Scotties Photo from Tim Gall, The Ottawa Citizen

The field at the national Scotties Tournament of Hearts is nearly set with only the New Brunswick representative yet to be determined. Goldline extends sincere congratulations to the team skipped by Rachel Homan, from Ottawa, for winning the Ontario provincial crown! Rachel, Emma, Alison and Lisa hope to add a national title to their provincial one in Kingston, Ontario, where the Scotties Tournament of Hearts will be played from February 16-24, 2013.

We also would like to recognize the team skipped by Kelly Scott, which won its fourth consecutive title in the British Columbia Scotties. Kelly’s team has long used brooms from Goldline. And joining the team as its alternate in Kingston is Diane Gushulak, who is a Goldline distributor in B.C.

Team Scott at the BC ScottiesPhoto by Bini Ball Magna Vita Photography

Those of you who watched the Continental Cup would have seen that there were many portions of the competition which were somewhat unconventional. In this blog post, we want to throw out some ideas on events / leagues that don’t follow the standard format of the game.

Skins

The concept of a skins game has long existed in the sport of golf and has made its mark in the curling world as well. In this format of play, each end is worth a certain number of skins. To win the available skins, the team with hammer (ie. throwing last rock in the end) must score two or more points; or the team without hammer must steal one or more points. If there are no points scored in an end, or if the team with last rock only scores a single point, the skins in that end are carried over to the next end. Typically, if there is a carry over in the last end of play, a draw to the button by each team will be used to determine who wins the remaining available skins.

Two costumed curlers sweep a turkey across the line

TV has been broadcasting a curling skins game for over ten years. At my home club, we have a regular skins league, which is immensely popular. This is an open league (ie. any combination of men and women) with 6-end games and 15 available skins; the ends are worth 1-2-2-3-3-4 points respectively. There are also club bonspiels each season which are based on a skins format, with money awarded for each skin won.

Skins games are pretty entertaining. You tend to see a lot more rocks in play, as there are typically lots of guards thrown up at the start of the game in an effort to generate offensive play.

Hot Shots / Singles / Skills Competition

In this format of play, a player is called upon to execute certain curling shots, usually with the benefit of having sweepers accompany the stone down the sheet of ice. Points are awarded for each shot based on how close the curler came to executing the shot. Typical types of shots included in this type of competition: draw to the button; draw through a port; double take out; raise; etc. If you’ve ever been to the Brier or the Scotties, a Hot Shots competition is conducted on the opening day of these national championships.

One of the key things to consider if you want to hold such a competition at your club: you should ask the ice crew at your club to include the “hot shot markings” in the ice when the ice is installed at the start of the season. The markers ensure that the stones are placed in the identical position for every person competing.

Scotch Doubles

Scotch doubles is a type of curling played with two players per team and six stones per end per team. Three stones are delivered by each player and there are six ends in a game. Sweeping is permitted only after the far hog-line. Until two stones have been played (one from each side), stones in the free guard zone (those stones left in the area between the hog and tee lines, excluding the house) may not be removed by an opponent's stone.

Wacky Scoring

Play a conventional game but make it more entertaining by using ”wacky scoring” whereby the rules for scoring are different for every end of play but you don’t know what scoring rules will apply until after the last rock is thrown and you rip open the envelope! Some examples: score as in a typical game but award the points to the other team; award each team a point for every rock of theirs which is in the free guard zone / out of play / in front of the tee line / behind the tee line.

Hockey: after a 113 day lockout, the players and owners finally reached an agreement in the NHL lockout. On Saturday January 19, the first games of a 48-game schedule hit the ice.

It’s time to set aside the bitter feelings and show your support for your favourite NHL team. Goldline now carries curling brooms that feature logos of each of our Canadian NHL teams: Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, and Montreal Canadiens.

Goldline Exclusive: NHL Broom Heads

The brooms feature a light weight composite handle, and images and logos of each team are featured on the broom handle as well as on the accompanying pad. To protect that pad, we have broom covers carrying the logos for each of the teams. Brooms, imprinted pads and covers for each team are available for purchase at all our retail stores and online.

Will we be adding other NHL teams to the line up next season? It is under consideration, but we won’t be announcing our final decision until this summer. Visit our website regularly to see what new teams may appear in our 2013/14 lineup.